‘The government has turned its back on the key measure that will help us get a grip on our unhealthy relationship with alcohol’. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

The government's decision not to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol concludes a disastrous few days for our nation's public health. The government has turned its back on the key measure that will help us get a grip on our unhealthy relationship with alcohol, and shown that the commercial interests of the alcohol industry come first. The same industry has worked hard to spread fear and misinformation, saying minimum unit pricing will hit the average, responsible drinker. This simply is not true; it is a targeted measure, designed to stop cheap, strong alcohol being sold at pocket-money prices. The unpalatable truth of this decision is that lives will be lost because of it and there will be more needless deaths for every day that we delay implementing this policy. The Alcohol Health Alliance will continue to fight for minimum unit pricing, a measure proven to save lives and cut crime.